We were told if we could get her out of there we could have her as their plan was to cut her up and haul her out piece by piece to the scrap yard. John is extremely resourceful being a general engineering, building and electrical contractor and with the help of good friend John Schmidt, another resourceful fellow, they devised a plan to haul her out of there in one piece.
The aftermath of a large Pacific storm, coupled with high tides turned the cove into a washing machine and actually washed a small boat and trailer off the launch ramp and destroying it in the rocks below, also filling the M-17 with seawater and kelp. With no time to waste we carried the mast, boom and all of the rigging and loose items up the hill to lessen the amount of weight to pull up the hill.
We began by lifting and blocking the trailer and boat as we pulled her over the seawall. Then began the slow process of wenching the load up the hill with the aid of a set of wheels bolted to the trailer tongue. Several snatch blocks and the use of the Palm trees did the job to get to the street, nearly loosing her to a speeding driver who almost drove right through our tow line. By 5:00 PM she was sitting on the street ready for the seven mile drive to our backyard. A few months later she is known as the " Sloop John B " in an album on this Photo Site.
The aftermath of a large Pacific storm, coupled with high tides turned the cove into a washing machine and actually washed a small boat and trailer off the launch ramp and destroying it in the rocks below, also filling the M-17 with seawater and kelp. With no time to waste we carried the mast, boom and all of the rigging and loose items up the hill to lessen the amount of weight to pull up the hill.
We began by lifting and blocking the trailer and boat as we pulled her over the seawall. Then began the slow process of wenching the load up the hill with the aid of a set of wheels bolted to the trailer tongue. Several snatch blocks and the use of the Palm trees did the job to get to the street, nearly loosing her to a speeding driver who almost drove right through our tow line. By 5:00 PM she was sitting on the street ready for the seven mile drive to our backyard. A few months later she is known as the " Sloop John B " in an album on this Photo Site.
Photos and Story By Brooke Townsend
"Imagine being told... If you can get her out, She is yours!"
Recovery of the "Sloop John B"
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"Our friends parents have a place on the Ocean in Cayucos, California where they have a small private harbor. The M-17 was their fathers that he used to sail on Lake Tahoe and then they brought her down to the Ocean. The sons used her for a while, mainly to fish off of and then she just sat there on her trailer for maybe ten years in the weather. There was a small hoist on the property which degenerated along with the boat and trailer and was of questionable integrity.
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